Long queues at gas stations around the country underscore Venezuela's continuing fuel shortages, despite Iran stepping in to help its Latin American ally with a major fuel shipment last month. "Iranian petrol is an illusion that has lasted a month," driver Nestor Hernandez told AFP in...

  Russia on Sunday has appointed Major General Milad Jadid as a Fifth Corps commander which was formed by Russia in November 2016, sources said. Maj. Gen Milad Jadid has replaced Maj Gen Zaid Saleh. Jadid is considered a commander of the "Special Forces", appointed in...

The U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of expression on Monday accused the White House of mounting an “onslaught” against the media and referred to a negative “Trump effect” on global press freedom. In his last official press briefing before his six-year tenure ends later this month, David...

With 2,050 new COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Spain over the weekend, parts of the country are moving towards stricter social distancing and hygiene measures. The Health Ministry reported on Monday a total of 255,953 COVID-19 cases – 2,050 more compared to Friday, the last time the data was...

Seven children and two women were killed in an air raid in northwest Yemen, a UN agency said Monday, as Riyadh said it intercepted missiles fired by Yemeni Huthi rebels. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said another two women and two children were...

Iranian police are investigating after a fire broke out at an industrial complex in northeast Iran where gas condensate storage tanks are sited, one of which exploded, the Mehr news agency reported Monday. Javad Jahandoust, the fire chief at the Kavian Fariman industrial complex, some 32...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday it is unclear whether EU leaders will reach agreement on a 750-billion-euro pandemic recovery fund at this week's summit, amid resistance from more frugal member states. "The road that we have to tread is still rocky," said Merkel ahead of...

The new coronavirus pandemic raging around the globe will worsen if countries fail to adhere to strict healthcare precautions, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday. "Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number...

The French government and unions signed an agreement Monday giving over eight billion euros in pay rises for health workers, with the prime minister admitting the move was overdue in view of the coronavirus pandemic. During the peak of the outbreak in France, people applauded every night...

Manchester City's two-year suspension from European football was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Monday, allowing the club to compete in next season's elite Champions League competition. CAS ruled that City did not breach Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by disguising...

The United Arab Emirates wants to see a return of Libya's oil production as soon as possible but with safeguards in place to prevent proceeds from fuelling further conflict in the north African country, a senior Emirati official tweeted Monday. Libya has been divided since 2015 between...

At least 11 security personnel were killed Monday in an attack claimed by the Taliban on a rural office of Afghanistan's intelligence agency, officials said. The insurgents said a suicide bomber detonated a device inside a car near the National Directorate of Security (NDS) while gunmen...

The International Monetary Fund warned Monday of the high cost of holding up reforms in Lebanon, two months into bailout talks to redress its nosediving economy. After Lebanon for the first time defaulted on its sovereign debt in March, the government pledged a financial rescue plan and in...

Nearly one in nine people in the world are going hungry, with the coronavirus pandemic exacerbating already worsening trends this year, according to a United Nations report published Monday. Economic slowdowns and climate-related shocks are pushing more people into hunger, while nutritious...

The Turkish and Russian presidents on Monday spoke over the phone to discuss developments in war-weary Libya and Syria as well as other regional issues, the Turkish Communications Directorate said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to maintain...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set ban Huawei from Britain's 5G network in a landmark decision that will anger Beijing but win plaudits from President Donald Trump as the United States grapples with China's rising economic and technological clout. The United States has pushed Johnson to...

Iran reported on Monday more than 200 new coronavirus fatalities that took the overall toll in the Middle East's deadliest outbreak beyond 13,000. "Unfortunately, in the past 24 hours, we have lost 203 of our compatriots due to the COVID-19 disease," said health ministry spokeswoman Sima...

A coalition of rights groups said Monday that "repression" and "intimidation" are threatening free speech in Lebanon, hit by an economic meltdown and months of angry protests. Since mass demonstrations erupted in October demanding the wholesale removal of a ruling class deemed inept and...

Britain is home to at least 100,000 modern slaves according to a new study, 10 times more than the official estimate, as activists warned 90 percent of victims may be going undetected. Anti-slavery charity Justice and Care and think tank The Centre for Social Justice said the real...

As coronavirus restrictions ease, business is rebounding in Cairo’s cafes, restaurants and shops. In the evenings, the sounds of street vendors plying their wares blends with the honking of horns, as the city gets back to normal. But the evening revival may not last long. To try...